


Wounds

by FuryTigresse



Series: After The Nightmare [8]
Category: Devil May Cry
Genre: Anger, DMC 5 spoilers, Devil May Cry 5 Spoilers, Family, Family Bonding, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Hurt, Major Character Injury, Post Devil May Cry 5, Post-Game(s), Spoilers, Wounds
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-02
Updated: 2019-05-02
Packaged: 2020-02-15 20:33:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18676924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FuryTigresse/pseuds/FuryTigresse
Summary: [Spoilers for Devil May Cry 5] Hunting demons is a dangerous line of work, getting hurt has a high risk of happening, and the Sparda family doesn't take it too well when one of their own gets wounded.





	1. Vergil

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LyricallyEmo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LyricallyEmo/gifts).



> This came from a suggestion from LyricallyEmo, so here you go, this is for you! :) It has two real chapters and a bonus one.
> 
> This happens after _A Visit to Red Grave_.
> 
> English isn't my first language, as usual, you know all that by now if you've been reading my other fanfics, so let me know if you see weird sentences and/or typos!

Vergil hissed a little as he pulled out a blade from his shoulder. The weapon came out with a squelching sound, and the half-demon attempted to do the same with the other ones. There was one in his stomach and two in his back. And he could feel that at least one of them was poisoned because he had never felt so weak after a fight with pretty minor demons.

Unfortunately, the blade in his belly was toothed, and made so that it would be very difficult to pull out. The pain threatened to make him faint whenever he attempted taking it out of his flesh. The ones in his back were at places he couldn't quite reach on his own. Damn it. He couldn't just ask his neighbors to help him. Vergil resigned himself to ask Dante.

One Yamato portal later, he was in Devil May Cry, stepping out and using his sheathed blade to support himself a little.

"Dad?!"

What? He glanced up, only to see Nero in front of him. Had he not correctly chosen his destination? No, he was at the office, which meant that it was just terrible luck that Nero happened to be there. Vergil decided that he'd care about this later.

Much, much later.

***

"Okay, now that you're mostly patched up, it's your turn to do something for us, Vergil," Dante said casually once he was done pulling out the last blade from his brother and bandaging him.

They both healed pretty fast, but that poison was something else. It kept the wound from closing quickly and it had even stopped Vergil's clothes from mending themselves. It probably did something particularly targeted at a demon's core abilities. Dante sighed and made sure his twin would be okay before he stepped back.

"How 'bout you tell us how the hell you got smacked around that much? That wasn't the work of a regular random demon, brother."  
"It _wasn't_ a 'random demon'."  
"What was it then?" Nero asked, sitting nearby, jaw tight, teeth clenched. "What did this?"  
"A pack of undying demons. They came back again and again, even after slaying them."

Their behavior when slain woke up some hazy memories. He vaguely remembered V's... his... familiars entering stalemate after getting hurt too much. The demons he had fought against that day had acted in a similar way. He suspected someone to have had a contract with them.

"It took an incantation to make them mortal."

To sever their connection to their contractor.

"How did they even get ya?" Dante asked, genuinely surprised that those demons had managed to even touch Vergil. "Except for the kid and I, I didn't think anyone else would be fast enough."  
"The books."  
"Uh?"  
"They attacked my bookstore. There are rarer books in there."

The moment he had protected a very valuable book from a blade with his body, he had felt it: something was wrong and this would end badly. At least he had kept it safe, undamaged, and-

"Are you fucking telling me you got hurt _on purpose_ to protect a fucking _book_?!" Nero suddenly exploded, standing up.  
"It wasn't on purpose."  
"You took a hit to protect a _book_!"  
"I need not justify my actions to you, Nero," Vergil grumbled, just like he did every time his son started yelling at him.  
"Like Hell! I busted my ass off to keep you alive! You can't just go and-"  
"Nero!" Dante intervened. "Relax, kid. You're not gonna get anywhere with this. You know your old man doesn't react well when you shout." That got him a sideways glare from Vergil, but the older twin kept quiet.

Nero sat back quickly, arms crossed on his chest. However, the anger was still there, barely contained. "Fine. You still got some explaining to do. _Why_ would you _do_ that?"  
"I've told you already. The books-"  
"Who _cares_ about a stupid book?! If you- if you had died..."

Nero's face crumbled into a shattered, broken, _scared_ expression. Vergil couldn't help but let his own expression soften a bit. "I'm stronger than that, Nero."  
" _Sparda_ was strong and he's not around anymore! Being a demon, or half one- that doesn't make you invincible, goddamnit!"

The young Devil Hunter took a deep breath between gritted teeth.

"I'm not... I don't want to... shit, this is hard."  
"Nero-"  
"I don't fucking want to lose you! You can't just leave me like Credo did. You can't!"

Credo. Kyrie had mentioned him before, during a conversation they had while preparing a meal. Vergil looked at Nero, noticed that he appeared vulnerable, childish, more than he had ever seen him be. His son always tried to look strong, to not show weakness - just like Vergil himself. But this time, the one who was speaking wasn't Nero the Devil Hunter, but Nero, his son, who had feared the worst when he had seen the portal with his father stumbling out, barely able to walk, covered in blood, blades sticking out of his body.

"I should have been more careful," Vergil ended up saying slowly after a few seconds. "I had not anticipated the use of poison. This won't happen next time. "

It had cost him to say this, to admit that he was wrong, but Nero deserved this at least. Moreover, his son was right to be angry at him. Protecting something with his body was a reckless move that was way too similar to something Dante would do.

"Promise me," Nero said suddenly.

Promise? Promise what? That he'd be more careful? That he wouldn't die? Dante shot him a concerned look, and Vergil huffed. All right.

"I promise I won't be careless."  
"Good."

That seemed enough. Nero got up after that and headed out, no doubt to clear his head a little. Dante exhaled a long sigh of relief before crashing down on the couch next to Vergil, looking exhausted.

"I really thought this would degenerate into my shop getting wrecked," he admitted.  
"You damage this place more often than anyone else, little brother."  
"Whatever. You know- the kid was really worried about you."  
"I know, Dante."  
"Don't do that again. We're Nero's family. _You_ are Nero's family."  
"I _know_ , Dante."  
"Do you really? That was stupid of you. Can't believe you let them hit you so you could protect a stupid book."  
" _Dante_."  
"All right, all right. I'll stop. Hey, you gonna be good, going home on your own?"  
"I don't see why I wouldn't be."

That was a bit of a lie. He did feel really weak at the moment, his limbs trembling under the poison's effect, his wounds throbbing painfully. The younger twin rolled his eyes.

"Take Nero through the portal with you."

Vergil shot him a glare.

"Now, why would I do this?"  
"Because I'm gonna fucking kick your ass if you don't," Nero growled, coming back inside. "You do know I could hear everything, right?"

Another big brother glare shot at Dante. Of course that idiot knew and hadn't bothered telling him. Luckily, he hadn't said anything embarrassing. Vergil sighed and turned towards Nero again.

"What are you hoping to accomplish?"  
"Fixing your store, for one. It's probably a mess, with how small it is and how stuck you probably were during that fight. And I'm also gonna make sure you're gonna be fine."  
"I do not require help-"  
"Dad. Humor me this once. Okay?"  
"You were here for a reason. I won't take you away from-"  
"Yeah, I was here to poke fun at Dante for being an idiot. After hunting down a demon around these parts because that old man was too lazy to pick up the phone, so the client contacted the Fortuna branch."

Well, that explained his presence in Dante's office. Nero was apparently the type to visit if he happened to be nearby, not that Vergil hadn't already guessed that.

"Very well," he conceded with a deep sigh.  
"I already told Kyrie I'm staying with you for a _while_."

That boy was cleverer than most would think. Vergil couldn't help a small smile of pure _pride_ at that thought.

"Let us be on our way, then," he said, getting up with a groan, the Yamato in hand.

The next few days definitely promised to be... _interesting_.


	2. Nero

Nero groaned when he pulled open the van's door, blood crusted up around his body and reopening his wounds whenever he moved. He had warned his father not to be a careless idiot a few weeks ago, and yet here he was, more hurt than he'd like to admit. Normally, he had way better regeneration than that, especially when he wore the jacket his father had given him for his birthday. But it had been in the washing machine when he had needed to leave for this job, and he figured he'd be fine even without it. He had _always_ been fine before he had it. He had just forgotten that the demonic energy in the jacket was also protecting him, not just patching him up when he got hurt.

He stumbled his way to the couch and sat there with a hiss of pain, taking deep breaths to try and feel a bit better. Wasn't working. He could vaguely hear Nico on the phone with someone, but really, he didn't care much about it right now. He just wanted her to drive them home ASAP so he could get those wounds taken care of. Nico was terrible at first aid. She wouldn't be able to properly bandage all the gashes on his legs, nor the really big one on his chest, never mind the wound that had damaged his right arm quite a lot. He almost missed his demon arm; the scales would have been able to stop the blade. But no, his arm was back to being normal, and he hadn't moved his spectral ones fast enough to block the hit.

He vaguely registered Nico hanging up and making her way towards him, a worried look on her face.

"Whoa, ya got beat up pretty badly out there. Think you're gon' be fine, demon boy?"  
"Don't call me that," he grumbled. "Who were you talking to?"

He felt a cold aura right outside the van as he spoke, and then the door opened, answering his question with Vergil stepping into the vehicle, the Yamato in hand. He had obviously just arrived using a portal. Nero shot Nico a glare, but the inventor was completely unfazed by it.

"I know, I know, I know, you can take care of yourself, but the last time I saw you in that state was when little chickee brought ya back after you got beat up by Urizen in that crazy houseplant, so lemme worry about you, asshole."

Nero groaned at that memory, especially since the complete version of Urizen was right there next to them. He sighed and avoided his father's eyes, scowling.

"I'm fine. You can go back to... to whatever you were doing," he mumbled at Vergil.  
"..."

The half-demon's lips were pulled into a thin line, his frown deeper than usual. He was staring at Nero, looking him up and down, eerily quiet.

"Look, I'm okay. Stop staring at me."  
"Where is your jacket?"  
" _That's_ what you're worried about?! Fucking- whatever! It's in the washing machine."  
"Its energy can protect you. Why were you doing this contract without it?"  
"I did just fine before I had it!"

His father let out a low growl that made the van shake before he grabbed the medical supplies Nico was handing him. He sat next to Nero after that, pouring some alcohol on a sterile pad.

"Do not move," he ordered him.  
"For fuck's sake, dad. I can _take care_ of myself."  
"Evidently not, seeing those wounds."

The van roared and got started on the road, Nico driving more - _way_ more - carefully than usual. Vergil was entirely silent as he took care of Nero's wounds, tearing up what little remained of his clothes when he needed to in order to access what needed to be bandaged. Nero found himself shirtless and in mostly torn pants very quickly, wincing in pain as his father didn't go easy on him, his actions efficient, but pretty rough.

"Watch it!" he grumbled when Vergil bandaged his arm.

That changed absolutely nothing. Vergil finished up as roughly as he had started, then got up and went to put the supplies away. When he came back, he took his coat off and threw it at Nero to cover him up a little, since his clothes were only bloody strips of material by now. He then sat at his usual spot at the small table, facing the couch where Nero was. His expression was still dark, even when the Devil Hunter reluctantly accepted wearing the long coat.

"That was foolish," Vergil finally said, his voice tight. "This could have been much worse."  
"But it wasn't. I can take care of myself, dad," Nero sighed, all fight leaving him.  
"You were wounded."  
"And so were you, the other day. Worse than me as well. And you were poisoned."  
"I also recall that you were quite irate by my wounds."

The Devil Hunter sighed again, but nodded. One thing he had learned was that having a father could, at times, be annoying at best and straight-out infuriating at worst. Especially having a father like his, a man who was about 2% in tune with his emotions and probably close to 300% in tune with his practicality. Okay, fine, Vergil had made some progress lately. Maybe he was closer to 5% in tune with his emotions now.

"Yeah, because I was worried."  
"You are assuming that I am not."

That got a chuckle out of Nero.

"What, _you_ were _worried_ about me?"

Vergil's expression got harder, and the Devil Hunter only noticed then that his father's entire body was tense, trembling slightly, his eyes glowing faintly as the only sign that he had probably been close to Triggering not too long ago. He remembered how Vergil had _snapped_ at that customer back in his bookstore, and he sighed.

"Fine. I get it."

Vergil cared in his own way. It was just really hard to get used to it, considering that this man had ripped his arm off. That particular event was pretty far behind them by now, but still.

"I won't do it again. Leaving without your gift, I mean. I just- I guess I just forgot how easy it is to get hurt without it," he admitted.

His father kept quiet, but there was acceptance in his eyes, although the rest of him said otherwise. Nero offered him a grin.

"Hey, you still haven't taught me how to do that demonic energy thing. And since most of my clothes are in pieces, you gotta come over and show me how to do it on my _other_ clothes back home."

The half-demon huffed, but nodded. He knew this was Nero's way to ask him to stay for a longer period of time. They were terrible at admitting that they wanted to spend time with each other.

"That, I can do."  
"Sweet. Hey, Nico!"  
"Whassup, demon boy?"  
"Call Kyrie and tell her we're having a guest for dinner!"  
"A'ight!"

Nero grinned at his father, ignoring the pain shooting through his body. At least his demon blood was doing its job, and patching him up more quickly than normal people.

"You're staying for dinner."  
"I'm not deaf, Nero. I heard you."  
"And after dinner I want to try Nico's newest Devil Breaker on you."  
"Relying on other tools again."  
"You have a sword that cuts _space and time_ , jackass."  
"No normal weapon equals the might of a Devil Arm."  
"Which is why this isn't cheating."

This time, there was a small smile on Vergil's lips.

"As long as you don't use your wounds as an excuse for your loss."  
"Fuck you! You haven't won yet."  
" _Yet_."

Nero groaned and rolled his eyes, but he was smiling as he lay down on the couch to get some rest, wrapped in Vergil's coat. Today... was the first time he had ever gotten really _scolded_ by his father. He felt a bit like a kid again.

It wasn't a bad feeling.


	3. Bonus Chapter

"Hello, am I talking to Vergil? Good. This is Trish."

The demon looked at Dante, who was lying down in a pool of his own blood, a sword through his chest. She put the phone on speaker mode.

"Why are you calling?" Vergil asked, his voice only expressing annoyance.  
"Dante got hurt. A demon stabbed him. The sword is still stuck in his chest."

There was a pointed sigh on the other side of the line. "Why call to tell me that? He's survived worse. Just pull it out."

He hung up after that, and Trish stared at her phone for a few seconds before she dialed another number.

"Devil May Cry."  
"Nero, it's Trish."  
"Oh, hey Trish. What's up?"  
"Dante is wounded."  
"Wounded? No way."  
"It's the truth. He got a sword through his chest."  
"For Dante, that's not a wound. Tell him to stop being a dramatic bitch and to stop slacking off."

He hung up too, and Trish sighed, putting the phone down.

"They know you too well, Dante."

The Legendary Devil Hunter pulled the sword out with a sigh, then sat with a groan.

"Not a wound, my ass," he grumbled. "It still hurts!"  
"That's your own fault for letting a minor demon throw a sword at you."

Dante got up and threw the weapon aside. He headed for the pizza he had been eating before getting _so rudely interrupted_ by that demon appearing out of nowhere and stabbing him. He sat his butt right on his chair and propped his feet up with a little pout.

"Damn it. Nobody cares about me."

And his wound closed up as he took a bite of his favorite food.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry, I couldn't resist writing this little part :p


End file.
